Yoga for... Pole dancers?
This one is for you, Maendy!
I'd read on Maendy's blog about taking pole dancing classses for physical fitness. She has a video in that post; it is really and truly unbelievable what the woman in the video (I believe she is called "Felix") can do. Her thighs could probably crush a canteloupe (how's that for imagery?). Then Maendy wrote a comment on the post below, which got me thinking about how, really, you can see yoga in everything, and yoga asana in a lot more things than I might previously have gone for.
Think, for example, about the breath work, balance, and focus necessary to accomplish what Felix can do with just her body, some high heels, and a pole. Darn right, she's a yogini. This is a different video than Maendy posted on her blog, but it's where I got my sequence for today (skip the first minute, there's nothing there except a taping of the stage).
I'd read on Maendy's blog about taking pole dancing classses for physical fitness. She has a video in that post; it is really and truly unbelievable what the woman in the video (I believe she is called "Felix") can do. Her thighs could probably crush a canteloupe (how's that for imagery?). Then Maendy wrote a comment on the post below, which got me thinking about how, really, you can see yoga in everything, and yoga asana in a lot more things than I might previously have gone for.
Think, for example, about the breath work, balance, and focus necessary to accomplish what Felix can do with just her body, some high heels, and a pole. Darn right, she's a yogini. This is a different video than Maendy posted on her blog, but it's where I got my sequence for today (skip the first minute, there's nothing there except a taping of the stage).
Yoga for... Pole dancers?
Do this sequence on the ground, and then consider, for a moment, doing it in midair, with only a pole to hold onto. The poses below are not in the exact order I caught them on the clip, but I saw them all there. Watch the clip, and feel grateful and humble.
- Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
- Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee Pose)
- Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head to Knee Pose)
- Dandasana (Staff Pose)
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 on other side
- Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle Pose)
- Supta Kapotanasana (Reclined Pigeon Pose)
- Kapotanasana (Pigeon Pose)
- Hanumanasana (Splits)
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
- Repeat steps 7-10 on other side
- Jump through to seated
- Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
- Virasana (Heroes Pose)
- Garbasana (Child's Pose)
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
- Natarajasana (Dancer's Pose)
- Allow torso to fall forward into Standing Splits
- Step back to lunge
- Vinyasa to Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Repeat steps 17-21
- Jump up to Handstand (using wall-- or pole-- if necessary)
- Upavistha Paschimottanasana (Upward Forward Fold)
- Roll back to Halasana (Plow Pose)
- Savasana